I recently had a feature published in Geelong + Surf Coast Living. It was the cover story for their Autumn 2012 issue and, appropriately, focused on the surfing history and beach culture Torquay has become renowned for. Fittingly, the Ripcurl Pro Bells Beach annual surfing competition is due to commence in a few weeks making it the perfect time to think about life on the Surf Coast.

I wrote this piece in the middle of a cold and dark London winter, which naturally left me pining for the sun and the sea. At the time, I hadn’t seen the ocean or smelt the salty air for almost six months. Perhaps, then, it was the perfect story to come my way. The countless summers I’d spent at Torquay and surrounding beaches meant I was able to write the piece with a sense of familiarity and a mind flooded with images of weekend trips spent along the beautiful Great Ocean Road.

I’ve always had a fascination with beach culture and a quiet admiration for surfers. And for the very first time in my life, I’ve had to come to terms with living (very far) away from the ocean. For now, I’ve traded the coast for the big city. I grew up in a town that was walking distance from the seaside and even when we moved further away, we were still only a short ten minute drive from the closest beach. So to suddenly have this element absent from my life has been a hard change to get used to.

Writing this feature, if anything, confirmed my love for the sea and allowed me to learn a thing or two about the surfing history in this part of Victoria. There’s nothing more satisfying than working on a story you’re completely engaged in and inspired by. And for me, this article gave me the rare chance to combine both. Be sure to grab your free copy of the Autumn issue of Geelong + Surf Coast Living to read my feature. Alternatively, you can view it online, here.

Do you have fond memories of the beach? Have you had to live away from the ocean after always having it close by? Will you be going to Bells Beach this April to watch the surfing competition?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing for Bride Magazine and this month I had my second feature article published in the luxury publication. For this piece, I researched and explored the topic of wedding rings and looked at everything from traditional styles to art-deco and antique rings and even options for men looking for something with character. I hope readers find the piece informative and interesting. Issue #66 is on sale now at leading news agencies. Here’s a sneak peek:

This article was originally published in Onya Magazine but here I offer you the opportunity to win a copy of the book.

Love and Other U-Turns by Louisa Deasey

Adventure calls in Louisa Deaseyâ€™s latest memoir after she meets unlikely comedian Jim at a wacky astrology night and leaves her stable city life to join him on a year-long road trip across Australia. The latte-loving freelance journalist from Melbourne packs up her flat in busy Fitzroy and takes the reader on an intimate journey through one of the biggest risks she has ever taken. With nothing more than her laptop in tow and a supply of low maintenance clothes, life becomes simplified living out of a Mazda travelling through the outback every day. But what more do you want when you realise you have everything you could possibly need to get by, including the love of your life?

The book is particularly interesting for readers with an interest in journalism and freelance writing as the author documents how she filed stories for leading newspapers while on the road, sent emails to editors from â€œdinosaur-slowâ€ internet cafes in the outback, and even landed a weekly fashion column while bar hopping with comedian Jim. This experience in itself highlights how living and working freelance can be done with very little; Louisa needed nothing more than an internet connection here and there and some solid hours to devote to her writing each week to keep up with the commissions.

And perhaps leaving everything traditional behind in favour of an unpredictable daily lifestyle was just the thing Louisa needed to take her career to the next level. The author shares this view us, both in life and work experiences, describing how â€œthe universe must have liked their lack of desperationâ€ and realising that â€œnot caring too much seems to get you exactly what you need.â€ Experiences like this seem to shape the authorâ€™s thoughts and appear to be exactly what she set out to discover when embarking on this seemingly wild trip. But itâ€™s in times like these that she learns something new about herself including how much she can tolerate, stripped of all the superficial things the fast-paced, technology-driven city life seems to bring with it.

The author describes how she was forced to look inward when she had no possessions or a place to belong to. â€œI question twenty-nine years worth of habits and values. The fact that up until now, Iâ€™ve always needed daily stimulationâ€¦â€ Moments like these flutter in and out of the storyline, offering the reader the opportunity to contemplate how they would feel if placed in a similar circumstance all the while offering subtle, yet fascinating insights into what is a very complex view of life.

The story is an exploration of the balance between needs and wants, passion and security and realising what it really takes to feel content. Set against the backdrop of the harsh Australian outback, where life is often more confronting than in the city, this novel highlights interesting lessons in life and love. But is life on the road enough to keep her away from the true city girl that she is?

Love and Other U-Turns by Louisa Deasey is out now. (Allen & Unwin, RRP $32.99)

To win a copy of this book simply post a comment below that describes your fondest memory of a travel adventure and what you learnt from it. The most interesting and original entry will win. Entries close at 5pm AEST Monday 6 September 2010. Good luck!

All files, words, content and articles on this site are the intellectual property of the writer Sharon Greenand no person is authorised to copy or reproduce the material without the author's prior consent.